1 / 30

TOWARDS NEW BITUMEN SPECIFICATIONS

TOWARDS NEW BITUMEN SPECIFICATIONS. RPF – 8/9 MAY 2012 Dennis Rossmann. New - Improved ”Midnight”?? (circa 1922). Aka CROSSING THE RUBICON. RPF – 8/9 MAY 2012 Dennis Rossmann. The Rubicon?. Crossing the Rubicon?.

verity
Download Presentation

TOWARDS NEW BITUMEN SPECIFICATIONS

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. TOWARDS NEW BITUMEN SPECIFICATIONS RPF – 8/9 MAY 2012 Dennis Rossmann

  2. New - Improved ”Midnight”?? (circa 1922)

  3. Aka CROSSING THE RUBICON RPF – 8/9 MAY 2012 Dennis Rossmann

  4. The Rubicon?

  5. Crossing the Rubicon? • The idiom - “Crossing the Rubicon” – means to pass a point of no return and refers to Julius Caesar’s army crossing of the river in 49 BC, which was considered an act of insurrection!

  6. BITUMEN! • Black and sticky • Originally a “residue” (or naturally occuring)? • Now a “manufactured “ product?

  7. Challenges • Current specs do not guarantee performance • Availability of local bitumen erratic • Changes in crude sources due to “international sanctions” • Need for supplementary imports (at a cost premium)

  8. Roles & Responsibilities of various parties in providing road infrastructure • Client - Identification (a plan) • Consultant/contractor- (the midwife - birth) • Client – (the foster parent- for life)

  9. New SANS Specification • SANS 307 ---- SANS 4001 BT1 (Pen) • SANS 308 ---- SANS 4001 BT2 (cutback)

  10. Changes in Penetration Limits • EN ISO 4259 – Determination and application of precision data in relation to methods of test • Reproducibility published by EN 1427 much better than that published by ASTM • Thus EN norm being followed

  11. Penetration Requirements

  12. Viscosity Requirements • Viscosity @ 60°c - removal of upper limit (submitted but not yet published)

  13. Viscosity Requirements • Viscosity @ 60°c - removal of upper limit • Viscosity @ 135°c - unchanged

  14. Viscosity Requirements • Viscosity @ 60°c - removal of upper limit • Viscosity @ 135°c – unchanged • Introduction of Dynamic Viscosity (Brookfield) to broaden field testing. Kinematic viscosity remains “Mandatory” value

  15. Bitumen Durability Requirements

  16. Durability Properties • RTFOT – indication of short term ageing (manufacture/application)! • Long term ageing?

  17. Bitumen Durability • Research projects underway! • Extended RTFOT (problem with modified binders?) • PAV • Requirements for HMA/surface seal applications • Assessment of Europe RCAT method option

  18. Durability Prediction! • Where to next Dr Spock”?

  19. Durability Requirements • SANRAL has decided to follow the PAV route (after RTFOT conditioning)

  20. Performance Grade Specifications

  21. Performance Grade Specifications • Current spec has no link to “performance”!

  22. Performance Grade Specifications • Current spec has no link to “performance”! • In order to link with SAPDM – we have to go the DSR route!! • SANRAL has made the decision to follow this route!!!!!!!

  23. Performance Grade Specifications • Current spec has no link to “performance”! • In order to link with SAPDM – we have to go the DSR route!!!

  24. Bitumen Specification • The option of having interim “dual” specs: i.e “industrial grade bitumen” and “performance grade” currently being considered.

  25. Cost of new testing equipment • Can we afford NOT to invest in more accurate performance prediction methods?

  26. Conclusions Are we taking the right route?

  27. CONCLUSIONS • Revised specs more in line with international norms • Limits linked to test reproducibility realities • SANRAL has decided to follow the PG spec route

  28. ConclusionCrossing the Rubicon! Caesar undecided! The term has survived to refer to any individual or group committing itself to a risky or revolutionary course of action i.e passing the point of no return!

  29. SA - 1985

  30. THANK YOU

More Related